During my junior year, I had spent two semesters studying in Paris, France. Weekdays were
spent with eight hours of a class a day learning about all things French; the culture, the language,
the history, and the arts while weekends were reserved for cheap flights all across the continent.
Not only did my study abroad experience change my perspective on education, it completely
changed how I see the world and my part in it. Because of this enormous impact it had left on
me, I wanted to speak to other students who shared similar experiences to see what benefits had
come from taking that leap of faith, and moving across the world.
Noa Watkins, a senior studying Peace and Global Studies, had spent a semester studying in
Barcelona, Spain in the spring of her junior year.
“I learned in a completely different perspective,” she said. “If there’s one thing that I think deters
a lot of people from studying abroad is the language barrier. You really have to learn to step out
of your comfort zone and just go for it.”
In her free time, Watkins was able to explore nearly a dozen countries within two continents.
“As a Peace and Global Studies student, I loved learning about the different cultures throughout
the world. The relationships that you build with people from every stretch of the globe is like
nothing else,” she said. “If I ever want to travel the world again, I know that I’ll have friends on
every continent that I can visit because of studying abroad.”
Watkins stated that her experience studying abroad would greatly impact her life and outlook
after college.
“I want to join the Peace Corps after I graduate and studying abroad has definitely given me the
chance to explore the world and familiarize myself with all the differences and yet similarities
that we all have,” Watkins said.
Kalista Sutton, a senior studying Business, shared her experiences about her semester in London,
England during the fall of her junior year.
“The hardest thing is adjusting to the cultural barrier,” she said. “However, that cultural barrier
is what led me to learn so much about myself. I was able to have experiences academically that
not many people get to have. I sat with the Prime Minister communication team and now I have
connections from all over the world.”
Kalista had shared the moment that she had really realized just how much she’d grown from her
study abroad experience.
“I remember I was walking in London and a couple had come up to me asking for directions as if
I was a local and I was able to tell them how to get to where they needed to be. It’s little
moments like that that make you feel like you’re adjusting and molding into the culture,” Sutton

said. “You can learn so much from a textbook but it doesn’t compare to what you can learn about
yourself and the world while you’re abroad. You grow so much. I’ve learned so much about
myself and I’ve never been happier because of it.”
After speaking with both these incredible women, one thing became obvious; how much
excitement came out of them while they were talking about their experiences. Studying abroad is
not an easy decision for everyone. There’s a lot of unanswered questions and risks but there is
also infinite possibilities for growth.
“Just go for it. Not only will you grow as a student but as a person,” said Watkins.